Anger Management
by Haku'sBest13
Summary: Mello's mood and actions have been particularly foul lately, beyond the point that everyone can deal with them. So, Matt makes a single call that will take "Hell" to a new level. What's in store for the Blonde? Classes to deal with his rage!
1. Matt's Ticking Time Bomb

This fic came from my friend, who gave me the ever popular idea of my current state of mind...

"Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering... You know how Mello has a very short temper?"

"Yeah, he does. What about it?"

"Well... What if he went to anger management class?"

-Long pause-

"Um, dude? Are you okay?"

"You just gave me an idea..."

Chapter 1: Matt's Ticking Time Bomb

In a cold, silent room, a gamer lay peacefully on his messy bed in a large striped shirt, black boxers, goggles set on his ruffled pillow next to him, and his DS still in his hand, batteries ran down. He was wound up in dreams of ally detectives, horrific but once in a life time adventures... But most importantly, Halo 3. "Yes... Finally, after all these sleepless days... Hayabusa Armor is mine... Major ownage..." Matt murmured in his sleep, "Use the sniper rifle... Not the assault rifle, you idiot! It's terrible at long range, you're just wasting ammo..." (It always amazed L how much knowledge Matt could store in his mind, even more than Near and Mello. If only he used the space to actually learn important things)

it was Saturday, the morning of Matt's favorite day. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around his room sleepily. He yawned, putting his goggles on his forehead and getting up. Noticing the dead game still in his hand, he wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, thankful he saved his game before dozing off. Matt skipped happily to the livingroom of the well furnished house the Wammy boys and their mentor L and caretaker Watari lived in. Matt rubbed his hands together, with a smirk drawing across his face.

It was routine for him to wake up before anyone else, which is his regular goal. If Matt could reach it, his days usually went well. It's one of the only things that Near doesn't do first and that Mello doesn't do second. Morning was his me-time, and everyone knew that. As Matt lit his first cigarette of the day, he turned on his Ps3, waiting for "Guitar Hero 3" to load. He grabbed his plastic guitar and sighed, perfectly content, and choosing his favorite song to start off with, "Miss Murder".

It never took much to make him happy. Some cigs, some games, food, water, shelter(in the order of "need") and he was perfectly content. He never minded Mello's large hourly bouts of rage, Near's smugness, L's uncaring ways, and what could be said about Watari other than he puts up with all of it plus Matt's cigarette smoke every day and can somehow _TAKE CARE_ of these insane people!

"Hey miss murder can I, Hey miss murder can I, may beauty stay if I, take my life? Woah oh oh..." Matt sang along to the song quietly. This was also the only time he felt comfortable singing, when everyone else was still in their crypts, rejecting pleas to wake up, like Matt would ever do something crazy like that. He's only shared this light silence with Watari a few times, when the old man wakes up too early and asks Matt if there is anything he needs, which Matt always does.

It'd be about an hour more before Watari left his room. Then L, Near, and Mello, who was always last in this event. Matt heard a door slam down the hall, and screwed up for the first time during the whole song because of it. Only one person slammed their door with such ferocity, only one person who was NEVER awake this early in the morning. Matt heard footsteps pound down the hallway. Yup, it was Mello.

The footsteps came closer, and Matt began to worry. He would've stopped for the bathroom by now... He must've woke up that early to talk to Matt then. Mello sauntered over to Matt, grabbing onto his sleep shirt, making it fall off his shoulder yet again. Matt paused his game, turning around and looking up at the irritable blonde. "Yeah?" Matt said lazily, making Mello growl. "I'm almost out of chocolate, I need you to get me some right now."

Matt turned back around, continuing his game. "Can't you just get Watari?" Mello reached over and pressed the pause button himself. "No, he's still asleep." Matt rolled his eyes. "When Watari's out of commission I don't cater to you." Mello started to tap his feet. "Ummm... Yeah, you do." Matt sighed, looking back at his game. "Mello, I'm not gonna change, get my keys, and drive all the way to the store for more heaps of chocolate this early in the morning, especially since last week you refused to get me "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories". You know, that was the last one I needed."

Mello grumbled, "Matt, I don't care about your stupid video game habit." Matt glared at Mello, "And I don't care about your stupid chocolate addiction."

* * *

Matt, fully dressed and on the road, tried not to think about the black eye that now 'graced' his face. "Jeez... He must be PMSing." Matt remarked. He usually could stand Mello when he was all angry, it even made him happy at times. But Mello being angry without chocolate?

Unbearable.

No one could stand him when he was like this, Watari even needed to strain himself once or twice(god bless his patient soul). Matt arrived at the store's parking lot, getting out and being thankful that it was still dark outside. Entering the store, he also noticed that not many people were there, another thing to be thankful for.

He went to the candy aisle without any wasted time, cleaning each chocolate bar shelf he could find. Mello usually only ate plain milk chocolate, but he enjoyed variety, something not many people would know about him. Matt hurried to the checkout stand, where the real stares always began. At least he didn't have to wait in line. He dumped his large sum of chocolate onto the line, scratching his head groggily.

The short girl stationed at the stand was moving quickly to get everything through, flinching at every chocolate bar and trying not to look at Matt's purplish eye. He put his goggles over his eyes to try and make her feel more comfortable, which seemed to help. She released a sighed, finally finishing. "That comes out to... 130.57." The girl said, trying to get Matt out of there as fast as possible. That was fine with him, he slapped cash into her hands and left quickly.

_Something has to be done with Mello... This is getting out of hand._ Matt thought, feeling his eye. He got into his car and sped off.

* * *

Near was up ever since he heard the crashing of Mello's feet to the carpet. He was merely staring at the ceiling, thinking quietly about every other subject that crossed his mind. He thought about what he suspected everyone was currently doing, he thought about what cases this day could possibly bring them, but whatever he thought about, his train of thought was always shattered by the booming of Mello's powerful steps across the house.

_L and Watari have to be up now too... I wonder why he's so mad. _Near wondered. He got up from his bed, slumping over to the door and walking out. _I might as well find out, it's not like I'll be able to go back to sleep. _Near reasoned. He walked down the sound riddenhallway, holding his head.

He finally reached the kitchen, seeing Mello pace through it as if he were making a very hard decision. "Mello..." The older male looked at the calm white-haired boy with wild eyes, "Why are you making so much noise? Are you angry? And if so, then why?" Near asked emotionlessly. Mello leaned against the wall, scowling. "Matt challenged me and didn't do what I wanted him to, he forced me to make him."

Near closed his eyes and shook his head, "So, your angry because he challenged your so-called, "Authority"." Mello nodded "That's ri-"

He stopped himself. So-called authority? "Wait, what do you mean by... 'So-called authority'?" Mello asked. Near walked over and took a chair, sitting in it. "Well, L is the one who we listen to, not you Mello." Mello cracked his knuckles, "You should listen to me anyway, if you know what's good for you." Near left the chair and looked at Mello, twisting his hair. "That's why I said, "so-called authority", Mello." He walked away, making Mello growl and stomp in anger even louder than before.

* * *

L was typing quickly on his computer, easily ignoring the animalistic noises of "Morning Mello". Watari was in the room with him, staying upon L's request ever since he served the young man a pitcher of tea and three bowls of sugar cubes. This time, he was actually writing for himself, and wouldn't let another tantrum provided by Mello stop his happiness.

Watari stood a few feet behind him with his own tea, reading as L continued to write. It was a novel he's been working on for a few weeks now, derived from one of the thousands of cases the detective has already solved, a case particularly interesting. Watari smiled, remembering each detail that L wrote down.

Both of them probably wouldn't leave the sanctity of L's room for at least another hour. But that was fine, they were old friends and held no problems against each other. "Watari, when do you suppose Mello will stop his onslaught of profanities?" L questioned. Watari laughed. "I heard Near's door open, he must have riled Mello up. So, maybe a couple hours." L smiled. "Yes, it always takes him the longest time to get over things Near says."

* * *

Matt got out of his car, hauling the bags of chocolate to the door. It was a slow process, but you felt twice as good when all that extra weight was off your arms. Mello put his ear to the front door, hearing Matt struggle with all his chocolate. He left the house eagerly, scooping up the chocolate out of Matt's hands and running back into the house quickly... Slamming the door on the exhausted redhead.

Matt mentally growled, walking over and opening the door himself, he plopped himself down on the floor in front of the television and turned it on yet again. Mello already escaped to his room, chocolate in tow. He set the fake guitar aside and made his game system spit out the disc for it. He decided to switch to another game. "Hmmm... Final Fantasy 9? Nah... Dark Cloud? Nope..." As Matt shuffled through his large selection, he came across a game he hadn't played in quite awhile. "Radiata Stories!" Matt gasped, hugging the game and inserting it in the Ps3.

He grabbed his controller, happy once again. Not even Mello's foul mood could bring him down as long as his games still worked, he there was still hope. The sun was now shining which put a bit of a damper on Matt's mood, but things were still okay. He ran his character named Jack out of the elf region and into the ork region. "I can't believe it, I'm still level 57! I should train him up." Matt said, laughing at how long it's been since this game saw the light of day.

He heard more footsteps down the hall, much calmer than Mello's, and shrugged them off. Watari went straight to the kitchen, and started getting ingredients out to make L and cake. L went in the other direction, and sat down on the couch behind Matt. "He calmed down faster than previously thought." L stated, and Matt lit another one of his cigarettes. "I gave him chocolate." He replied, which made L smile slightly.

"I love seeing how you boys interact with each other." L said, noticing Matt's eye. Matt grumbled, starting a battle with an invading ork. "Yeah, well I think Mello's solid proof that men can have periods." Matt countered spitefully.

* * *

The morning went better than planned, by Matt's start. Everyone stayed calm, and Mello just stayed in his room. He bit into a crunch bar, thinking about how his morning was going. It was rare that they accepted cases on Saturdays, probably why Matt loved them so much. "Damn Matt..." Mello said to himself, "Just do what I say, and I won't hurt you."

He got up from his bed, and checked the clock. It was 2:30pm, a more than appropriate time to finally leave his room. He stomped to the door, swinging it open and exiting his room. Near was on the floor next to Matt, who got Jack up 20 more levels since morning. Killing off yet another boss in the storyline, he glanced at Mello, and soon turned back around.

L was in his chair in the living room, eating his fifth piece of the cake Watari made that morning, and Watari was off in his room, most likely reading. Mello went to the kitchen, opening the fridge and seeing nothing but freshly made sweets. "You're going to kill Watari one of these days." Mello said, and L shrugged. "I figure if he can put up with your demands, he can put of with my requests." L said, taking another bite of his cake.

"Getting chocolate from the store's different than actually making things from scratch, Matt should know." Matt twitched when he heard his name. No, not today. He wasn't going to submit to Mello's childish behavior. He continued playing, and entered a special maze exclusive to the end of the game. "Does that mean the next time Watari goes out to get you chocolate, you'll punch him in the eye before he leaves?" Near questioned.

Mello folded his arms, "Of course not. Watari would listen to me the first time anyway, not like Matt." He twitched again. Didn't they understand that he was in the room with them? If you're going to talk about someone, at least do it when they can't hear you. Mello lied down on the couch, ruffling Matt's hair, "But he'll learn to respect me sooner or later." Matt sighed. "I'm not a dog, you know." Mello unwrapped another bar of chocolate, "Yeah? And?"

Matt made a low growl, trying to control his anger. He also could stand Mello when he wore that, "Better than you" complex over his head. Mello shook his finger, "Now Matt, If you don't want to be treated like a dog, don't act like one." Matt completely ignored Mello from then on, and saved his game.

He switched to an old favorite, "Portal". Starting by shooting a hole in the wall with his ASHPD, he slipped into another room or the Aperture Science building. Mello didn't hear the annoyed voice of Matt this time. He poked his friend on the head, "Anyone in there? Probably not." Matt ignored the insult. Mello sat up, "Matt?" He called.

Still nothing.

Mello cracking his knuckles, shoved the gamer into the floor. Matt easily bounced back, continuing to play his game. Mello narrowed his eyes, walking over to Matt's Ps3 and bringing his foot down hard on it with a loud smash. Near and L watched with wide eyes as Matt's game stopped and the screen turned blue with a yellow "Lost Signal" sign in the middle of it.

Matt's eyes turned wide, and his heart sank. He stayed calm, and walked into the hall Murmuring. "It's time for some tough love". Near and L could only stare. He was actually staying sane. His game was busted beyond belief, but he was okay. Matt grabbed a phone book out from the book shelf in the hallway and walked into the kitchen. Flipping the book, he picked up the house phone.

After a few moments, he began talking. "Um, yeah, I wanted to set up a class." He paused again. "No, it's not for me. It's for my friend... Yes, set it up under the name Mello. That's M-E-L-L-O." More silence, and Matt chuckled, "Yeah, he's far from mellow. That's why he needs the course. So, when can we get this thing underway?" A short moment went by. "That's perfect! He'll be there then. Thank you, bye."

Matt set the phone down, and went to the fridge. Getting a plate of mixed cookies, and walked back into the livingroom and sat down on the couch, setting the television back to T.V. mode, and biting into a sugar cookie. Mello sat down next to him, "Who did you call just then?" He asked. Matt changed the channel to cartoon network, and began watching Chowder.

"I called that Family Therapy place nearby." Mello raised an eyebrow, "Why?" Matt turned to Mello, scowling. "Because, your attitude's gotten worse, if that was even possible. I got you a class for anger management."

* * *

Poor Mello! Well, he _**did **_break Matt's Ps3. Until next time!


	2. Running Away From Running Away

It took a good chunk of time to make this, but I'm finally back!

* * *

The whole room was silent. Even Mello, wide-eyed and shocked, wasn't even moving a muscle. "It's your own fault, Mells. This should either make you a calmer person, or just teach you not to fuck with me." Matt said, pulling a DS out from his pocket and flipping the switch. "One or the other, I don't care which. At least it'll be a change."

Both Near and L began getting that bad feeling, deep in their stomachs. A feeling they only got when a fight was going to break out. L and Near looked at each other, and started doing hand motions.

L pretended to snap a piece of chocolate bar off into his mouth like Mello does, and began yelling really loud and punching his fist in all directions. He then pulled out fifty dollars and winked. Translation: "I'm betting on Mello, he's completely nuts."

Near had an imaginary DS in his hands and punched himself in the eye. He turned his hands into puppets with one yelling at each other, and the other staying calm. But then, Near snapped a fake twig and the quiet puppet attacked the louder one! Finally he held out fifty dollars and smirked. Translation: "I don't know... Matt can snap at any time, and he may have lots of strength at that time... I'm betting on Matt."

Finally, Mello twitched. A signal that meant he was still in there, somewhere. Matt just continued to play Pokemon, "You're to be down there in three hours, don't be late." He finished, eating a peanut butter cookie from his plate of treats.

Mello cracked his knuckles, _Let the onslaught of screaming and harsh, "He-didn't-really-mean-it" words fall from the freakin' skies. _Matt thought, rolling his eyes. Mello closed his eyes and took in a deep, even breath, and exhaled in the same fashion. He opened his eyes, "You can't make me go." Mello said firmly, before walked off to his room.

Matt looked over the couch to see Mello walking away, "The hell I can't!" He snarled, before Mello slammed the door. Matt sighed, regretting his previous words. "You really think you can get him to go?" Near questioned.

Matt turned his game off and shook his head. "I don't know... But I know he needs to." L took the remote in his hands and changed the channel to the news, he's had his fill of cartoon chefs and their weird antics. "You know, I'll help you." He said.

Matt sighed, "L, even if you help me, I don't think we can do it. I bet right now Mello's really confused and thinking he's done nothing wrong, since he does stuff like this all the time but I never did anything about it... Until now."

L shrugged, "That doesn't matter. I know it may be just the way he is and all that, but still..." He trailed off. "Perhaps we should give some things up as well..." Near suggested. Matt clutched his DS and hissed, making Near stare at him with a shocking expression.

"I think Near was going along the lines of... _Harmful_ things." L clarified, pointing to a pack of cigarettes. Matt winced, "F-fine..." He decided. L picked up the pack of cigarettes and walked into the kitchen, tossing them into the trash. Matt sighed heavily, shaking his head.

A thought came to mind as Matt glanced at his tray of cookies. He slunk over to the refrigerator, only to find sugary snacks upon opening it. He took a plate of chocolate cupcakes, and dunked them into the trash, right along with his cigarettes. "What're you doing?" L said quickly, twitching.

Matt looked up at him with a smirk, "Maybe you should cut back on the sweets, eh? I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say, 'I'm surprised you don't have diabetes right now'. Too bad Watari's so nice, otherwise he would've said something."

L gasped, and looked at Near, "You don't have a problem with me eating deserts all the time, do you Near?!" Near shrugged, "To be honest, you could stand going a day without eating so much ice cream. To be healthy, a human being needs more nutrients than that." Near commented, making Matt smirk and head to the fridge again. He took a whole cake this time, and walked back over to the trash.

L rushed in front of the redhead's path, "W-wait! Maybe we s-shouldn't go that far..." L tried to suggest. "Let's not cut sugar out of our lives _completely_. I mean, having a low amount of sugar in your diet is actually bad for you!"

Matt rolled his eyes, "There's lots more in there. Besides L, I remember you telling us the importance of a balanced diet when we were younger." Matt sighed loudly to go along with his act, "Too bad I can't get all the fruits and vegetables I need in a day because of none of the food we buy is actually of that variety." Matt ended his statement with a smirk.

L stood in deadly awe, pleading with his eyes while Matt shooed him to the side. The experienced detective jumped down and grabbed onto his leg, "PLEASE, not the cake, _ANYTHING_ but the_** CAKE**_!!" L pleaded, while Matt dragged him to the trash, "You're degrading yourself, L. Please stop it. Besides, the cake is a lie anyway." Matt pondered if he should really throw out the cake. I mean, it was his favorite... _Maybe anything else but the cake_, Matt considered.

Matt sighed, setting the cake on a counter. L had his eyes closed, and was holding onto Matt's ankle as if his life depended on it. "You can open your eyes now, teacher." Matt informed blandly. L slowly let himself see again, and he hugged Matt's leg when he noticed an intact cake near them.

"Oh, how '_kind_' of you." Near murmured sarcastically, channel surfing. "Too bad I can't join in this great "Fast of Addictions". I don't need these toys, they just help me keep my hands busy, so that means I don't need to give them up." Near smiled silently as he rolled three dice in his hand.

L stood, and stared carefully at his cake, "I thought I was going to lose you..." He whispered, picking up the cake. Matt raised an eyebrow as L smiled at the cake, "No, my sweet. We must save each other for another time... Perhaps in an hour or two, then you'll finally be in my stomach, just how we both want it." L put the cake back in the fridge, sighing happily, while Matt twitched.

He shook the chilling thought of L actually _talking_ to a sugary confection away from his head, and checked the time on his wrist. Mello was supposed to be at the class at 5:30pm, that was in three hours now. "I should talk to Mello. Pray that I come back, okay?" Matt sighed, walking down the hall.

He reached Mello's room, and put his hand on the doorknob, finding himself unable to turn it. He could have sworn he was trying! Was it that Mello locked the door, or did he really not want to open it? Matt looked down at his limp hand, realizing he didn't try to turn the knob yet. With a heavy sigh, he quickly opened the door, exerting more energy than he meant to. This resulted in the door banging across the wall behind it.

"I'm sorry!" Matt said quickly, and realized he was talking to the empty space that was Mello's room. He scratched his head, a bit thrown off by the scene.

He looked around the room, no Mello. He walked over to his closet, no Mello there. In his bathroom, no sign of Mello. He inspected the window. It was locked, and that would only be possible from the inside, so Mello didn't go out the window, he wondered where the short-tempered blond could be.

"Why are you in my room, Matt?"

Matt turned in the direction of the voice, revealing Mello in the corner of the room listening to his iPod. He sat up, and leaned against the wall. Mello had a sad expression on his face. "Um..." Matt scratched his head, and Mello took out his earphones and put them on his shoulder, "Well, just to see if you were okay..." He replied.

Mello's soft face turned angry again, "I meant it when I said I wasn't going." He reminded, turning away and pouting. Matt folded his arms, walking up to Mello and sitting down on the floor as well. Death metal poured from the earphones, and even rattled Matt's mind if he got too close.

"Mello, we're all going to be going through changes, don't worry." Matt said with a bit more presence than usual, hoping Mello heard him. Mello slightly turned to him, and Matt continued, "Remember how you'd always complain about me smoking? I knew you meant well, but I just couldn't do it, I never had the will. But, you don't need to talk about it anymore... I'm going to quit."

Mello turned the volume down, and looked at Matt with wide eyes, "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. Matt smiled, taking one of the abandoned earphones and putting it in his own ear, "Yeah, I wouldn't lie about something like that." Mello sighed, taking the other earphone. "But, I don't want to go, Matt..." Mello whispered, resting his head on Matt's shoulder.

Snaking his arms around Mello, Matt realized that arguing would only make the blond become angry. "Well, why don't you want to go?" He asked, and Mello huffed, "Because, it makes me feel like I have a very serious problem." Matt rolled his eyes, "Um... You kind of do, Mello... But, why do you react the way you do? There's so many things that can be done other then getting angry and hurting people."

Mello began to tear up, "I don't know... Because I feel that people listen to me more when I yell." Mello quickly caught his tears as they fell. Matt noticed, "You have to do this, Mello. I can't afford to lose another memory card... Or a friend." Matt said, holding tighter to him.

Mello shook his head, trying to rid his eyes of tears. "Fine, I'll do it, but only because you really want me to." He said quickly, rubbing his eyes. Matt stood up, and held out a hand to his friend. Mello looked for a second, and reluctantly took Matt's hand.

* * *

"They've been in there awhile." L stated to no one in particular. Near was carving another finger puppet of a random person, looking every so often into the hall. Things were silent in the house for almost twenty straight minutes, and both antisocial detectives were starting to get paranoid.

"What do you think is happening?" Near questioned, wiping wood chips off of the newly finished toy. L shrugged, and soon after silence came back into play, an uneasy feeling set into the cryptically quiet house. L and Near looked at each other, and at the same time, both leapt up from their seats and paced down the hall.

They approached Mello's door, and payed attention to the sign:

"MELLO'S ROOM, MUST KNOCK TO ENTER (Unless you're Watari. And maybe Matt... Sometimes)"

"I hate that rule." Near complained. L sighed, "Remember when you didn't mind it last time? He always complains anyway, let's just knock." Near rolled his eyes, "And hope that I won't need to get in for another year or so."

L knocked on Mello's door, but there was no answer. At about five seconds, L started to knock feverishly, and Near helped soon after. Five seconds passed, and then five more. L sighed, and just opened the door.

What lied upon the door looked more like a abduction than a fight. The window was wide open with black curtains trailing peacefully in and out of the room, and there was no one inside, yet it seemed like someone left only to come back in about two minutes.

Mello's laptop was on and open to a case he was recently working on individually along with the data Mello collected while working, and opposite the room, his lamp was turned on. Mello's cell phone was still on his desk, along with his wallet and tape recorder. The carpet was calm, and showed no hard signs that someone was running, stomping, or being dragged. Although the room appeared peaceful, it still had an eerie feeling... Not as if something bad happened, but as if something bad were going to develop from it.

A suspicious expression came over L's face as he slowly shuffled to the side of Mello's unmade bed and turn the lamp off. "Huh..." L commented, looking back at Near and punching his fists in his pockets. Near grumbled, and the laptop on Mello's desk suddenly caught his attention. He walked over to the corner of the room, and began to read the case that was displayed on the monitor.

L took the chair next to the desk that Near ignored, and sat down in his usual manner, "Mello wouldn't want you looking at his personal cases, Near." L reminded the white-haired boy. Near shrugged, and continued to read, "He won't find out."

The conversation abruptly ended there, And L turned away from Near. "Rivals until the very end... Fine, just don't solve it." L ordered. He took Mello's phone in his hands, and wondered if Matt had his cell on him right then.

* * *

Mello and Matt sat on a bench in a park about two blocks from home, watching the birds chirp and people walking their dogs. "It's funny," Matt said, still staring at the trees as light trickled through the branches, "How great the graphics can be in a game, yet reality always has a higher quality."

Mello ate the last of his chocolate bar and rolled his eyes. "You should really get out more." Mello said between chews. The blond tossed the wrapper away in a nearby trash can. "What gets me every time is that everyone knows who we are, yet no one knows who we _are_. It's funny how we can live in the middle of the city and go anywhere we want, and all these people still know us as detectives."

The gamer looked around a bit, "You shouldn't say that out loud..." He muttered in a low tone, and Mello slouched in his seat, "Relax, there's no one around." Mello replied. Matt took of his goggles, and placed them to the side, "I guess you're right." He sighed, relieved. They were both lounging now in the sunlight.

Mello checked his watch, "I've got two hours left until that class. And even though I'll be going, I want you to not Tell anyone at home, okay? Especially Near." Matt laughed, "Like I'd ever tell. It'll be a secret. And speaking of Near, you think he found out that we left yet?"

Mello shrugged, "Someone had to find out. He's probably being a nosy little bastard and reading that fake case I wrote too." Matt nodded in agreement. He reached into his jest jacket to take his GameBoy out, and found a pack of cigarettes instead.

Mello noticed quickly, and held out his hand, "Give it." He said firmly. Matt sighed, and held out the smokes. Mello took the pack and tugged, but Matt still held a strong grip. Mello raised an eyebrow, and tugged again. Matt bit his lip. "Let go." Mello ordered, and Matt lost his grip.

Mello smiled as he looked at the half-empty pack, and tossed them at the trash can near them, missing this time. "I'll get it!" Matt said and rushed to the trash. Mello kept a close eyes on Matt as he picked the cigarettes up, sighed, and dropped them into the trash.

"You'll get used to not having them sooner or later." Mello encouraged as Matt walked back, defeated. Matt sat down, and looked at Mello with a hopeful smile, "You know, you're already getting calmer." Mello tilted his head to the side, "Really?" Matt nodded, and Mello smiled back.

"It seems like you're relieved, Mello. After we talked about it, that scowl that you wear all the time went away." Matt commented, and Mello turned to the landscape in front of them, "Yeah, well... I never noticed." Mello took out another chocolate bar and unwrapped it, taking a bite.

A chime sounded, and Matt took out his phone and checked the caller ID. "It's... You." Matt held up the phone and showed Mello his own name on the front. Mello sighed, and Matt answered the call, "Hello?" Matt greeted.

Matt scratched his head, "Oh, hey L. What's up?" A touch of silence passed, "Well, here's what happened. I found that the window was open when I went inside. I left too and found out he was walking down the street. He told me he wasn't going to the class, and ran away. I'm looking for him now."

There was more silence on the line, and Matt answered again. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I'll be covering a lot of ground here in a minute." A final break of silence. Mello watched intently as Matt "Alright. Thanks for this, mentor. I appreciate it. Okay, bye."

Matt quickly folded the phone, stood up, and started walking. "We have to get out of here." Matt said, and Mello quickly followed, "What's the rush?" Matt picked up his pace, and Mello adjusted accordingly, "L and Near are going to look for us. They'll probably look everywhere except for that family oriented building I called to get you the class..."

Matt turned around apologetically, "I think you should take an earlier class Mello. You'll be late now, but that's fine." Mello's eyes widened, "But, I'm not prepared for it yet. You can't just jump on me all of a sudden!" Matt looked at Mello, there was still pity in his eyes. "I'll go with you, alright? We just have to leave, now."

Mello sighed, "Fine, as long as you take it with me, I guess..."

* * *

Today was group session for the students attending the anger management class today, and their teacher was about to walk through the door again with blank paper and pencils so they could draw what makes them so angry.

A fight hadn't broken out amongst everyone yet, which was probably a first for the week. Mello and Matt had little problems finding the place, and they slowly opened the door to the classroom as to stall for a few more seconds. "Doesn't it feel like there's something wrong with you?" Mello whispered. "Now that you mention it, yeah..." Matt admitted, "I feel scared." Mello nodded "Thank you for saying so." He finalized triumphantly.

When the door fully opened, all the students stared at the duo in anticipation, but soon all shared a collective sigh and lost interest. One of the group stood up, a slightly portly man looking somewhere in his mid-thirties with a balding head of brown hair, blue eyes, and tan skin. He had black pants on riddled with holes, along with a green camouflage T-shirt.

"Hey baby, you're lookin' good." The man hooted, holding his hands up and flexing his fingers of a squeezing motion. The others started to laugh and do cat calls, while Mello twitched. He slowly turned to Matt, "He's talking to me... Isn't he?" Mello whispered. Matt put his hands up in defense, "I didn't think it was very relevant to say that it was an all men's class we were headed to."

Mello turned around, this time the man was in front of him, with others standing as well, "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" The man said, reaching for Mello's face. The enraged blond suddenly twisted the man's hand, turned him around, pulled out a gun and put it to the back of the his head. Others gasped and stared in awe.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't talk to me again_._" Mello announced. The shocked man was fidgeting, "Wait... That deep voice..." Mello cackled sinisterly, "That's right jackass, I'm a _BOY_." Matt was patting Mello now, "Mello, please. Don't, it's not worth it!" He shouted, still trying to calm his friend.

Just then, the teacher walked through the door, supplies in hand. That didn't last long though, paper and pencils were all over the ground the instant the short man saw the scene. Matt turned around and stomped the ground in frustration, "Y-you... Must be the young man my assistant spoke to on the phone..." Matt made a quick notion of pulling his hair, "This wasn't a very good first impression, was it?"

The teacher leaned on his side and sighed as he shot a quick glance at the man still struggling under Mello, and he frowned and shook his head.

* * *

I feel really bad for Mello and his feminine looks, but at least they won't bother him anymore. Remember to review, see you later!


	3. First Class: Progress

I'm going to say this right away.

L with the cake in this chapter... Yeah, I went there. XD

* * *

Watari had just finished cutting L's whole cake into ten pieces, and put one on the table. Storing the rest away, the retired sharpshooter sat down in the living room and took up a novel to read. It had been almost an hour since he saw anyone in the house, but his "L-Needs-Sweets" senses were tingling, so he thought he would get on top of everything before his former pupil complained.

There were footsteps approaching down the hall, slow, soft, and close to the ground. _There he is_. Watari thought, noticing L's rhythm in the pitter-patter of foot shuffling. L poked his head out from the corner of the living room's wall, looking into the kitchen to see his cake sitting there, all alone. His eyes widened, and his hunger became evident as his sweet tooth practically pounced onto the medium-sized triangle waiting on the table.

"Oh, cake..." L cooed, "You're sooo good!" Watari raised an eyebrow, as he peeked at the scene behind his book. L continued to scarf his cake, when Near finally slunk into the room. The white-haired detective turned to Watari, "You know, he made a pledge to hold off on the sweets. He needs us to help him out with it." Near informed, twisted his hair.

Watari put down his book, "I will make sure he eats this and nothing else today, and I believe it would be a good idea for him. I can finally make you boys and your teacher a sensible dinner tonight. Thank you, Near." Near nodded and they both looked at L and his declining cake. "Ooh, cake! Oooh,_ cake_!!" L screamed, finishing his cake and leaning back in his chair, drooling.

Near stared, and his eye twitched. "Watari... what just-"

"Go play with your action figures, Near." Watari interrupted fiercely, but Near simply gazed at him with a worried look. Watari sighed and rubbed his head, "L has a bit of a problem, now go to your room." Near nodded quickly, and practically ran down the hall and slammed his door upon entering.

L's eyes rolled back into view, and he began to straighten his clothes. He walked over to Watari, his face still covered in frosting, and he cleared his throat, "Um... Sorry." L whispered, a bit embarrassed. Watari held out a tissue, and the insomniac took it and wiped his mouth.

L sat down next to his caretaker, "Mello ran away." L started, looking at Watari. "Near and I were going to look for him, Matt has already started." Watari nodded, "Do you need my assistance with anything?" The older man questioned, and L shook his head. "No, I have some good ideas of where he would be."

Watari nodded as a way to see L off, and L left the living room to contact Near. He opened the door to see a white mass of moving sheets in the corner, and Near poked his head from under them, "Is it over...?" He asked cautiously. L sighed, and walked over to the now shivering white pile, and knelt down beside it.

He rested his hand on what he hoped was Near's back. "Near, sometimes when you're an adult..." L broke his sentence off there and stood, moving towards the door. Near tilted his head, "What were you going to say?" L turned to look back at Near, "I'll tell you when you're older." Near stood up, "I'm seventeen!"

L disregarded the once panicked albino, and nodded for him to follow. Near did so, and pretty soon they were out the door and on the streets.

* * *

The entire room was silent as the students continued on their drawings. The teacher was keeping a close eye on Mello, while Matt was attentively watching the teacher. The blonde was on his final chance, and then he would be kicked out. What with a gun actually being pulled out, Mr. Johnson was being extremely gracious for not calling the police.

A few factors were added in, as Mello was licensed to be carrying the weapon, but using it in such a way was also inappropriate. He had to hand it over for the time being, and that was his first offence. But then he got into another skirmish when a person mentioned how 'cute' he was, and that resulted in yet another injured person, and yet another strike against the hothead.

Mello simply kept his mouth shut for the time being, and his eyes never strayed from his paper as he continued to scribble vehemently. His hand moved with quickness and efficiency as the portrait became rather apparent. Matt looked over his friend's shoulder to see a very expected picture, but it was chilling all the while.

It was a picture of Near sitting down, on a very high pedestal at the top of the page with L hunched down next to him, smiling and seemingly congratulating him. Mello was on a slightly lower plinth, extremely angry and shouting at the pair next to him. Matt held his place on a much lower one, and was happily relaxed with where he was. Matt was even depicted lounging in the drawing, perfectly content.

A small tap was made by Mello's pencil hitting the desk he was sitting in, indicating he was done, and Mr. Johnson came around to collect the drawing. The short man took a moment to adjust his glasses and look at the picture, and also complemented Mello on the unique form of drawing, making Mello simply respond with a careless nod.

Mr. Johnson also collected Matt's paper, in which he drew the final battle scene of one of the many Final Fantasy's, a battle in which Matt lost and was devastated about for days. Mr. Johnson set Matt's drawing down, and moved over to the door, opening it. This caught Mello's attention, and the teacher motioned for his blonde student to join him outside.

Mello followed the calm man into the hallway, and looked around, a bit confused. "So, um.... Yeah?" Mello questioned scratching his head, and Mr. Johnson held out the picture to the much taller teenager. "There is a lot going on here..." Mr. Johnson commented. "I was wondering what exactly inspired you to draw this."

Upon closer inspection, there was light dawning on Near and L in the background, but the shading Mello added to the picture indicated there was an abnormal absence of light where he stood in the drawing, but a dim light shows up again behind Matt. Seeing how Mello was right next to Near, there should have been at least _some_ light on the blonde.

Mello shrugged and looked away, beginning to tap his shoe to the floor. "I guess I did too much to it. And you're right, it is pretty busy. Maybe I should erase some things..." Mello suggested, and the older man shook his head. "No, that's quite alright, Mello. I'm just more interested in what everything means."

Knuckles were cracked as Mello started becoming uncomfortable and frustrated. Mr. Johnson tried to initiate some communication, "Why are you in the dark, Mello? While these two at the top and Matt have light?" Mello put a hand over his mouth, and shook his head. There was a silence in the dimly lit hallway for a few moments as Mr. Johnson thought of another way to get Mello to talk.

"Mello, you are very close to the top..." This statement earned Mr. Johnson a cold nod of affirmation from Mello. "It must have took a lot of work to get up there. You're nearly equal with these two..." Mello tensed up just then, while the man continued after not getting a verbal response. "Mello, where is this from? Are you in school, or is this at home?"

"Our place." Mello simply answered through clenched teeth. He opened his mouth to speak up again, but closed it just the same and leaned against the wall. Mr. Johnson pushed for answers, "At home then? Well, it looks like it's in someone's perspective. As if this is what they see when they look at you all." Mello nodded quickly and forcefully, closing his eyes. "Is this person at home?" Mello nodded in the same fashion, "are they in the picture?" Another response in the form of a nod from Mello.

Mr. Johnson looked at the picture again, "Is it your friend, Matt?" Mello shook his head. The shorter man held the picture up to Mello and pointed to a boy twirling his hair, "Is it him?" Another shake of Mello's head. Mr. Johnson nodded, "Then it must be this other one that looks like he needs sleep." Mello sighed, irritated.

"What does the light mean?" Mr. Johnson asked quickly, trying to figure out more. "Why does it even matter?" Mello snapped, snatching the paper and flinging it to the ground. "It's just a dumb drawing, it doesn't mean anything!" He yelled, starting to walk down the hallway toward the exit. "And I wasn't aware that you were a shrink."

Mr. Johnson was close behind. "Just tell me this last piece, Mello. I won't ask for anything else." The teacher promised, and Mello stopped and turned around, fury in his eyes. His breathing quickened as he tried to form his words, "Pride," He said, shaking his head and breaking in a few cold laughs, "Love." He added.

The man standing before Mello had a hard line for his mouth, and he nodded once. "Thank you for telling me." Mello smiled menacingly then, and laughed more. "He doesn't love me... He's not proud of me!" Mello said, his voice and laughter getting louder. "I try hard, damn it. I did it all for him. I wanted..." Mello cut himself off there, and his laughing diminished.

Mr. Johnson nodded, "What did you want, Mello?" Mello looked at him, his smile stayed. "I wanted his support. That's about it." The teacher adjusted his glasses again, and walked back to pick up the picture. Mello followed him back to the outside of the classroom door.

Mello watched as Mr. Johnson plucked the drawing from the floor, and smiled. "The artistry really is unique, I never saw anyone ever draw this way before." Mello shrugged, and put his gloved hands in his pockets. "I want to know more... But, as promised, I won't ask anymore questions." Mello nodded his head, and attempted to take the picture, but Mr Johnson moved his hand. "But, I know more can be done."

The blonde scowled at the instructor, and Mr. Johnson continued. "Mello, there is no class tomorrow, but could you show up here around noon? This definitely deserves attention." Mello leaned on one of his legs, "If I go, can I have that drawing back?" Mr. Johnson held it out to Mello, "Of course."

Mello looked cautiously at it for a second, but soon took it, "Then fine, I'll come in." Mr. Johnson nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Mello. And I also want to talk to you a bit after class." Mello nodded hesitantly in agreement.

* * *

"Your friend has a real mouth on him." One of the men told Matt. The redhead was looking out the window with a bit of a lost expression as the man started to glare. Finally, Matt spoke up, "Yeah, I guess so... But you deserved the beating _and_ the name-calling." Instantly, the large man leapt at Matt, and took the gamer's collar in between his hands and lifted him.

"So you think so? You have a smart mouth too, boy. How dare you talk that way to your elders? There must be something wrong with your parents for them to have let you grow up this way!" The man snarled. Matt still held a dazed expression, "I should hope there was something wrong, seeing is how my folks are dead." Matt answered, making the man have an instantly regretful face. Matt looked at him, his face turning angry, "And even if you're older, I'm _your_ elder when it comes to brains, so _you_ better check _yourself_."

The man lost his temper, and punched Matt, sending him across the room and into the wall. The tall man growled, "Say that again, you little bastard!" Others tried to calm the enraged man, while more laughed and encouraged the situation to get out of control. Matt just leaned against the wall, and looked at the floor, seemingly in thought.

Matt could hear a single pair of heavy footsteps come towards him, but before they could meet with his body, the door next to Matt quickly pushed open, and Mello sauntered in. The sight of the new student made half the men sit down in their seats again, and the teacher promptly walked in after him. "What is going on here?" Mr. Johnson asked suspiciously, while Mello noticed his withered friend and helped him off the floor.

Mello put his forehead to Matt's, "What did they do to you?" Mello whispered. Matt shook his head, "Nothing." Mello scowled, and went back to his seat while Matt followed.

"Stuart, I believe that was your final strike for the week." Mr. Johnson said, leading the abnormally tall man to the door. The man by the name of Stuart whined, "C'mon, Teach! I can't work again until I get a passing grade." Mr. Johnson shook his head. "My apologies, but you will not be let back in until next week, when you'll be given another chance to prove yourself."

Mello stifled a quiet laugh, and Matt just smirked, waving a farewell to the man. Mr. Johnson turned to the class, and sighed. "I'm going to go ahead and let all of you go early, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say too much has happened today."

The room quickly dispersed with that statement, but Mello tried to hang behind, while Matt stayed as well, concerned. "Something wrong?" Matt asked, close to the door while others passed next to him. Mello shot a quick look to the teacher, then back to Matt. "Just go outside, I'll be there." Matt managed a smile, and left the room.

Mr. Johnson pulled something out from behind his desk, and it appeared to be a dark blue tin. He started to walk over to Mello. "I've been waiting awhile to find the right person to do this with..." The man started. Mello cocked his head to one side, puzzled by the action, while Mr. Johnson simply grinned.

"This is a sewing kit." Mr. Johnson informed, and Mello's face was hit with a surprised expression. _Sewing... Kit...?_ Mello questioned in his head, completely taken back by the information. "You have a real hand for crafting, I just figured it would suit you. I want you to make something with the materials inside that'll help you to be calmer. There are many things you could make. Something relaxing, something happy, something..." Mr. Johnson smirked, "To relieve stress."

Mello scrunched his face. _What's he getting at...?_ The man pushed his glasses up and laughed, "All I'm saying is that you're the type of person that can only be happy when you get everything out, revenge or not." Mr. Johnson walked back to his desk, leaving Mello baffled and riddled with questions. "What did you mean by that, Sir?" Mr. Johnson shrugged, "It was simply an example. You are excused, Mello."

* * *

Near and L had checked every place they believed Mello to be in, and still nothing. Near glanced at his watch, and found that Mello started his class by now. Near sighed, "L, can we please go home? This is hopeless, Mello won't be found until he wants to be." L looked at the dying sky as day was declining and bending into night, and considered Near's suggestion.

He put a finger to his mouth in a pouting motion, "Perhaps you're right." L sighed. The two turned in the opposite direction and started to walk, and L's phone rang. He promptly answered it, "Hello?" L answered, his index finger and thumb the only fingers touching the phone.

"Matt? Well we were out, looking for you two..." There was a long break of silence, and L started to look around, "You see us? So you're in the car... Well, that's good, I'm glad Mello came to his senses." Near raised an eyebrow as he noticed Matt's car approaching. "I'll see you soon." L said, before hanging up.

The car pulled over by the two, and both of them entered it and Matt sped off. "I'll just take you guys home so I can drop Mello off at his class." Matt said, looking at Mello and winking. Mello smiled at Matt, and turned to look out the window.

L decided to speak up to show his admiration towards his successor. "I'm proud that you listened to Matt, Mello. I almost feel as if I can see the change already." L encouraged, and Mello looked behind him to see L with a knowing grin. "Whatever you need help with, you can ask me. I'm just happy you decided to do this. It means a lot to me, to everyone." Mello had nothing to say, so he believed fake anger to be his best reaction.

He huffed and leaned in his seat with a single inaudible mumble, giving L the silent treatment, while his mentor simply patted him on the shoulder lightly. This small action made Mello feel a bit sorrowful after what he said about L an hour before, but he held his sadness well. Soon they were home, and Mello rushed out to get something, telling Matt to wait in the car.

Mello was almost to his room when his white-haired rival stopped him. Mello turned around to see Near's apathetic face, "The Daughter did it. She used the knife found under the bed, and no one at the party noticed because she left to get another drink. The original suspect was blamed in the beginning because she used his coat to cover herself while she was stabbing the victim. That is why when she came back, she wasn't covered in any blood." Near stated, and walked to his room before Mello could say anything. The blonde stood there, surprised for a moment, then quietly walked to his room.

Mello turned his computer on and brought up the fake case, seeing that Near was correct after all. _That little asshole..._ Mello thought. That proved that Near was, in fact, in his room without permission, and Near didn't care. Suddenly, Mello took his laptop and threw it into the wall, cracking it in half. "He'll never stop... He'll always find these tiny things to just piss me off and get at me, and he doesn't even give a shit anymore." Mello said, shaking his head.

The sewing kit jingled in Mello's long black jacket, and he noticed that was the entire reason he was here. He took out the sewing kit, and out of curiosity, opened it. What was withheld inside shocked the blonde so much that he nearly dropped it. Yes, there were sewing materials, such as needles, thread, a small pair of scissors, and even a pin cushion that looked like a big strawberry, but there were also sticks tied in the shape of human beings, and a folded pamphlet about voodoo dolls.

Mello took a very hard look at all the materials, but soon tucked them away under his bed along with his drawing and left the room to meet his companion outside for a night on the town. And while walking out of the house, a small, mischievous smirk grew on his face. For the time being, he only had sinister thoughts of his smug, toy-loving rival.

* * *

I'm afraid for Near... And I noticed how I wrote him as a real meanie in this chapter, and I'll try to tone it down( I mean, I don't hate him!).

You also must bare with me, for this is my first attempt writing comedy. This chapter was fairly dark, but it'll get better, I promise! -smile-

Remember to review~


	4. First Meal: Interesting

This one's the craziest yet, I believe.

Perhaps because I wrote half of it while I was coming over a spell of insomnia(Lasted for 3 days!)...

* * *

The duo had been driving by streets in the city for ten minutes, trying to settle on what to do. Matt suggested they eat, but Mello reminded him that they were due back home for a real dinner with L(First time in years). Mello tried proposing they see a movie, but Matt retorted that there weren't any good ones to be seen. Both of them brought up simply going to the park, but _both_ knew that would be boring and uneventful.

"Well, we should do _something_..." Matt said, sighing as they passed another shop. Mello shrugged, "Hell, at this point, your nomination is as good as mine." And that was true. Mello had no more bright ideas, and he wasn't trying to use his imagination anymore for the subject either. His mind always fell back to the stick dolls he had in his room, and what he could accomplish with them.

Matt had been housing an idea in his cluttered thought channel for almost ten minutes, but didn't speak up because he thought Mello wouldn't approve. But there wasn't anything to lose anymore, seeing as they were just looking ahead at a night of driving until running out of gas. "Mello?" The gamer said in a small voice, making his companion turn away from the window.

"Maybe we could go..." Matt began a weak, embarrassed laugh, "Play games at an arcade?" Mello blinked a few times, then smiled and turned away, "You kept the urge back as long as you could, huh?" The blonde said, mostly to himself, continuing to watch scenery out of his window.

Matt's eyes darted to the road, where they stayed, and he tried to hide his face behind the wheel. "Yeah. I'm sorry..." Matt answered apologetically. Mello shrugged, "I don't see why you are, we might as well." Mello replied, turning back to Matt, showing his approval.

Matt looked back at Mello, and smiled as well. "I mean, there's the arcade, or you could go with me to get a new model." Mello said, putting his hand on his gun. Matt squirmed in his seat, but had another bright idea. "How about we play shooting games at the arcade!" He exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Mello nodded yet again, sitting back in his seat as he did before. Matt made a sharp turn and hastened the car to their target destination. "I like this Mello!" Matt chirped cheerfully, "This Mello does the things I want _way _more than the other Mello." A small smile came from the person in the passenger seat, as a tear came with it.

"I'm glad you like him..." Mello said, keeping the fractures in his voice to a minimum. The ecstatic redhead didn't seem to notice. "Because, it's all for you Matty." Mello finished, wiping the tear away and sighing with equanimity. Still, even if Mello was happy that his friend was overjoyed, he couldn't help but to wonder. _I wasn't _that_ bad... Was I?_

Matt cocked his head to the side, "Did you say something, Mel?" Matt asked. Mello shook his head, "I didn't say anything." He reassured, confirming a lie. Matt shrugged, "Oh... Well, we're here all the same!" Matt announced, halting the car and quickly trying to hop out.

But he forgot a simple necessity– to unbuckle before leaving. Matt tangled himself in a mess of straps when he opened the door to leave the vehicle, and only succeeded in spilling out of the car in a hopeless ball of catastrophe.

The poor gamer tried his best to release himself from the snare he placed, but it was no use! Mello calmly left his side of the car and walked over to his discouraged friend, who started producing a series of animal noises, almost if he truly did fall in a trap.

Mello laughed without restraint, and began crying and pounding his fist on the car, but soon grew weak and slipped along the side of it. Matt just continued onward, growling and roaring like an animal at the zoo who doesn't like seeing the flash from cameras.

"Mello! The games..." The redhead struggled through his words, probably believing he was in a soap opera. "...You must play them... For me." Matt choked, giving up the battle with his own defiant seatbelt. Mello rolled his eyes, "Children, this is your brain on video games." He announced to an imaginary audience. He pulled himself up and untangled his anxious friend with ease.

Matt opened his once sealed eyes, and made the situation out like a miracle. "Oh, my beloved!" Matt cried, hurling himself at his friend and grabbing him in a loving(yet brawny) hug. "You have saved me from the dreaded Bowser again, Link! I must repay you!" Matt said, melting into Mello's unwilling embrace. Mello began to squirm in the forced hug.

"Matt, your mixing your games up again, like that one time when you took too much cough syrup! Let go!" Mello said, struggling to pull himself free from his disoriented pal. "Not before you get your present." Matt said, giving Mello a smile before planting his lips to his friend's.

Mello's eyes twitched, and he quickly broke the connection between the two detectives. Matt was sent tumbling to the ground, while Mello had a quick "Disturbed-As-Hell" session. Once Mello recovered from the attack, he grabbed Matt by the collar and shook him violently. "What the hell has gotten into you!" Mello scolded, knocking Matt in the back of his head.

"My apologies master!" Matt said, eyes becoming more innocent of the crime. "Precious made me do it!" Matt confessed, his voice moving in different directions from his abused body. Mello ceased shaking the gamer to get more answers, now he was becoming truly curious. "What... _Precious_?"

Matt instantly unzipped his vest and opened an inside pocket to bring out his DS. "It wants me to play games at the arcade!" Matt pleaded. "Matt will continue falling in and out of different realities until this happens!" Mello rolled his eyes and dropped the delusional gamer back onto the ground, and began sauntering towards the arcade. Matt quickly stood his ground and ran after his disgruntled chum.

"Go play the games, we must." Matt said, keeping up with the long strides set by Mello. The rebellious detective released an inaudible growl, but stopped himself. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the unofficial oath he set himself by. _It's for Matt..._Mello repeated in his mind, and his unpleasant look disappeared off his face completely, replaced with a strained wince(This was the best he could do for a smile). Matt soon skipped faster than Mello could stomp, right up to the doors of the arcade.

"Games!" Matt cheered. But the clerk soon turned off the lights and locked the door from inside as well, and left the arcade. He looked up at Matt before shutting it completely, "Closed." The man said, putting his keys away and leaving.

Mello noticed how Matt wasn't moving, and how the clerk walked briskly away from the building. "Matt?" Mello called, becoming worried as he caught up to his friend. Not only was Matt immobile, his face showed no expression whatsoever. Mello shook the striped detective a bit, before the poor gamer let out two sad words. "No... Games...?" Matt questioned, looking up at his concerned friend.

The blonde sighed and patted Matt on his shoulder apologetically. "It's alright Matty, we can go home and play games." Mello encouraged, pulling Matt's chilled body towards the car. "T-t-two p-player?" Matt questioned, letting his lip quiver. Mello stopped at the car and chuckled lightly, "Yeah, of course." He said, walking over to the passenger side.

Matt jumped to signify a small praise, and entered the car. A thought came to Mello, "Wait. If it's late enough for the stores to start closing..." The blonde quickly checked his watch, only to see the display show that it was twenty minutes 'til eight. Matt was still buckling himself in, noticing the color drain out of Mello's face.

"Something wrong?" Matt asked. Mello came back to life with a shake of his head. "We're going to be late, Matt!" The redhead raised an eyebrow, "For?" Matt wondered, starting the car. Mello turned more urgent. "Remember what Watari said before we left? _Our _mentor is going to eat _actual_ food!" Matt's face seemed to blank out as he recalled his memories.

"We have to get home, now!" Matt realized, putting his goggles on. The car sped like a flash out of the parking lot.

* * *

Near twisted a lock of his hair into a neat loop, and looked at the digital clock on the kitchen stove again. The time showed eight o'clock in bright green, mechanical letters "Well, looks like they won't be here for the 'Big Event'." Near commented. Watari was also in the kitchen, prepping the meal with the upmost of care...

... What? L was going to eat real food, everything had to be perfect.

"Don't count them out just yet." Watari warned, "Mello has ran off during the night and skipped dinner his share of times, and we've all eaten while Matt was in front of the television playing those games he likes so much, but I'm sure they want to be here for this."

Near slouched in his chair, keeping his feet right at the edge of his seat. There was a short moment of silence before Near spoke up again. "Shouldn't L be in here too?" Watari turned around, a bit surprised. "I thought he was in the living room..." Watari admitted, eyeing the empty family room. He turned around and continued stirring stew. "Would you retrieve him for me, Near? He may be in the bathroom having a small panic attack."

"I'm not going in there!" Near panicked, jumping up from his seat, "He might be in there with a... I don't know, a donut." Near explained, cowering with his hand scratching the back of his head. Watari sighed with irritation, and started to toss salad, "What would he possibly be doing in the bathroom with a donut?" Watari asked, annoyed.

Near pushed his fingers together, looked down at his bare feet and blushed, a bit embarrassed of his previous outburst, "Well, after seeing him with that cake earlier today..." Near cut himself off there, and his neck receded, making him appear smaller than usual. Watari stopped what he was doing and turned to Near.

"I told you not to mind that type of behavior from L." Watari reminded. "Just check up on him if he's too scared to come out right now, at least. Mello and Matt aren't even here yet." Near grumbled and walked over to the kitchen wall, knocking his head against it. "Well, can you at least answer me this...?" Near asked, his forehead still touching the wall, "Why would he be in the bathroom?"

Watari shrugged, "It's mostly a feeling I have. I know that when he's under a large amount of stress, he goes in the bathroom. It's a bit of a habit he's had ever since childhood." Near parted from the wall to look at Watari, and raised an eyebrow, "He can solve impossible cases, but eating a little rice puts him under strain?" Near questioned.

The old marksman took a little chuckle from the sincere question, but still answered. "You don't know him the way I do. Now, run along and get him." Near growled and stomped down the hall, a sheer sign of teenage rebellion.

_Perhaps Watari's right. _Near tried to convince himself, _Maybe he's just in there, freaking out in the bathtub or something like that..._

* * *

L had spent the last hour trying his best to pace around in the cramped bathroom, keeping his beloved last slice of cake next to the sink. Every time L would look upon the confection, tears would swell in his eyes. _If I start now... _He thought,_ I won't be able to stop, and then it'll all be gone._ L had been deliberating the cake's fate the entire time, but coming up fruitless in his considerations.

L sat down in the tub and shut himself out from the world, using the shower curtains. He then rocked back an forth, trying to wonder what to do. "My poor cake... You're becoming extinct in this house." L said with desperation, feeling tears wanting to spill out of his eyes.

He pulled the curtains back, and stared at the single piece of "Miracle" cake he had somehow saved from the dreaded trash can. It had one humble strawberry adorning its top, and was white in both frosting and mix. The sugar-addict brought himself to pick the cake up. "Perhaps I should leave you in the medicine cabinet until I completely know what to do with you?" L wondered, almost seeming to ask the cake.

Suddenly, a knock came from the bathroom door. "L, dinner's just about ready. Come out." Near called from the hallway, and everything turned sinister in L's mind as he saw the doorknob start to turn. It flung open, and Near's face instantly turned timid again, as he slowly backed away from the doorway.

L was still cuddling his very last cut of cake up to his cheek, and also panicked when looking at Near's shocked face. "No... Near! This isn't what it looks like!!" L shouted, holding up an extended hand in both defense and denial. Near panicked as well. "Oh my _God_, L!" Near screamed. He ran down the hallway, towards the kitchen, "_**WATARI!!!**_"

L dropped the cake back onto the rim of the sink, and ran after his potential heir. Near plunged into the kitchen, instantly catching Watari's attention. "What's wrong, Near?" Watari asked quickly, getting worried. "L has _ca_-"

The smaller boy was jumped on by the older, more experienced detective, and L covered Near's mouth. Watari rushed over to the two, and kneeled down. "Everything's fine, Watari." L said, trying his best to keep the albino quiet. Near's muffled cries were almost unheard, but were quickly forgotten when a loud crash came from outside.

Watari, Near, and L looked at each other with wide eyes, before running to the front door and outside. Matt's red car was on the lawn. The _lawn_. It was parked(If you would be so bold as to say that), but in the completely wrong place. The two had crashed into the fence and garbage cans of the misfortunate house-the opposite side of the driveway-, causing a huge mess and lots of damage.

Both the gamer and chocoholic exited the car and scrambled up the porch, tripping over each other. Matt lost his footing and Mello's boots got tangled in Matt's laces, sending them both down. Matt adjusted his goggles that were mangled in the crash, and looked up at the incredulous faces of his comrades.

"Are we too late for dinner?" Matt asked. The redhead tried to regain his footing, but soon learned his vest zipper was caught in his friend's hair, who bit the dust right next to him. The two struggled for a bit to get away, while Watari announced that dinner was just starting and went inside, mostly to get away from the insanity.

* * *

Everything was set. The tables, the plates lined with food, and the people, who were in their respective seats and waiting. Watari already declared supper started, and there were a few nibbles here and there, but everyone was waiting on the main course-

-Not the meat, the World's Greatest Detective eating it.

L had been cringing in his seat for a few minutes, picking up his fork with only two of his fingers-the usual fashion-and pushing leaves of his salad back and forth. The bowl of potato and carrot stew lay next to the plate of rice, salad and chicken, and L tried his best to avoid everything.

Matt poured some of his stew onto his rice and tried to eat it, but found himself drawn to L much more than his stomach to the food. Mello took a bite of his food every other minute, eyes fixed on his instructor. Near looked at his food, but couldn't bring himself to eat. It was almost as if he wouldn't feel safe until L started before him.

Watari looked around and smiled. This was the first meal where everyone was be present in weeks, but at the same time he also wanted to laugh because the sudden perfect attendance was obvious to trace. No one seemed to pay attention to themselves or their plates, but took greater interest in the insomniac sitting at the head of the table.

"Well, my friend?" Watari questioned, earning a piercing gaze and a grunt from L, "How do you like it?" L looked back down at his untouched plate, and shook his head. "I don't know, but it looks great... At least, I think." L replied.

"You should taste it!" Matt blurted out, instantly covering his mouth. Mello and Near hissed harshly at the redhead, who probably believed he was talking in his mind. L's hands left his fork and took up a spoon, and dunked it in his stew. Squinting his unrested eyes, he slowly began to bring the spoonful of stew to his mouth.

_Oh my God..._Mello thought.

_This is it... _Near imagined.

_He's going to do it!_ Matt celebrated.

L dropped the spoon, seeming to realize something. "I think it needs salt." He said, grabbing onto the small shaker, and beginning to dunk the tiny white crystals in the liquid wildly. Watari raised an eyebrow, "L... Are you sure it needs that much salt?" Watari wondered, and L nodded his head with vigor.

He took a spoonful of the new concoction and gulped it down quickly, smiling. "I love it, Watari!" L said between bites, "You're such a good cook!!" But the compliment slipped through Watari's unwilling fingers, and the older man started to feel shame. He instantly caught onto the ruse. "Mello... Please pass me the salt." Watari asked, holding out an expecting hand while Mello gazed in awe at his teacher.

Watari took off the lid of the shaker, and spilled a small amount of the contents into his hand, and tasted it. Instantly, his tongue sweetened instead of soured, just as he expected. The caretaker rolled his eyes, and looked on at his friend with a bored expression.

L finished licking the bowl of his stew and still looked on at his plate. His eyes shot to the salt from across the table, and he put on a polite smile. "Could you please pass the salt back to me, Watari?" L asked.

Watari folded his arms, "Sugar." He said simply. L's heart sunk as he saw the disappointed face of his caretaker. "L, I think you can do without it." Watari said, getting up to switch the salt and sugar containers.

L sighed heavily, and looked back at the menacing food, and again, he attempted to ignore it. Watari sighed, "Just do it, L. Set a good example for the boys. And if not for that, then just eat it so we can all still consider you an adult." L heeded those words, and sighed right after Watari.

The sleepless detective picked up his fork once again, and stabbed a bit of his chicken. Eyeing the morsel as he would a poisonous snake, L squinted his eyes yet again and turned his head as if it would hurt him. Matt looked down at his own plate, and started chomping mercilessly on his food. Mello did the same, and Near soon followed. They did it the way an animal would after seeing food for the first time.

L huffed once, before biting down on his fork, eating the chicken. The flurry of munching beasts ceased, and they all looked at L's wincing face as he struggled through chews. Watari grinned, pleased. "How is it really, L?" Watari asked. The detective gulped roughly, and held back the urge to cough. "It's... Bitter... But other than that, I like it." He answered genuinely.

Matt clamped onto the side of his head with his gloved hand and smiled. "Wow! This night was so wild! First I kiss my best friend, now teacher's eating non-sweetened food!!" Matt threw his head back and laughed, as everyone stared wide-eyed at the pair. Mello twitched, and faced Matt, who was still giggling.

"You... What?" Near asked, making Mello snap his head at the white-haired teen. Mello looked back at Matt, trying to push out the disturbed stares.

"Matt, did you know..." Mello whispered. Matt turned to his friend, still grinning, "Know what?" Matt asked. Then it hit him yet again. Later, this would force the detective to put 'Remember to _think _personal thoughts' on his To Do List. Mello lunged at the goggled gamer and caught Matt's neck between his arms and started squeezing and choking him on the kitchen floor. "**You're such a fucking _idiot!_**" Mello screamed.

* * *

Matt had NO control of himself in this chapter, and for that, I feel sorry for him -pity-. Hopefully, it'll make him feel better that it was for the pleasure of my marvelous readers. See you later!


	5. Healing For Near

I'm really sorry for these late updates, but I've been hard at work. I deleted my two others stories to revise them and they're up now, so I decided this story deserved an update as well. I'll try and update one of my three stories every week now, going in a fixed order. That might seem like a long gap if you're only reading one(3 weeks!), but it's better than 1 or 2 whole months of nothing, right? Well, on with it!

* * *

"That was something else you pulled, Matt. Never heard of it before in my life." Near teased, fumbling with a toy spinner somehow balanced on Matt's pillow. The childlike teen pressed on, "Have you noticed any punishment marks yet?" The still-hurting gamer continued on his one-player computer game, silently.

After the special dinner ended so... uniquely, Mello retired to his own quarters, indirectly cancelling his promise to Matt that they would play video games together.

Now at this late hour of the evening, when everyone else was in their own rooms doing their own duties, Near decided to lend Matt some company. Their meeting wasn't going too well, in truth. What was taking place wasn't a friendly play date nor quality time, as it was supposed to be. But more so, it was a confrontation.

The annoyance was gathering on both sides in short installments... And was quickly turning to irritation. As the scant legs of Near made faint sounds by swishing back and forth in a controlled rhythm, Matt's trigger-happy index finger clicked away at rapid pace, adding to the noise.

The recovering smoker didn't bother with a response–he would be wasting his breath. The fact was: What was said before was a stupid thing to blurt out, accompanied by a reaction that was expected(although not entirely justified). Mello was learning, and he was doing quite well, but to think he wouldn't do anything drastic?

That was dangerous.

No, Matt stayed silent. He wouldn't temper himself with wishful thinking, nor would he give Near the idea that he did. Preaching of Mello's success would do little for the albino's honest opinion of the blonde.

So, instead of a comeback, Matt's hand continued to hit the mouse, and Near's fingers continued to fiddle with the top perched on Matt's pillow. Near turned a small bit of attention to Matt, only seeing the redhead's back and the game display. The short detective rolled onto his stomach, almost in remorse.

This situation has turned from two boys barking at each other in a comedic fashion to a sheer one-sided insult frenzy. Near never thought himself to play the bully. Now Matt was probably hurt, and wouldn't ask Near to leave. The redhead would carry out his usual nightly pattern, and would ignore him.

And it was true. Matt hadn't noticed before, but now a steady stream of tears flowed down his face in the cracks of his eyewear, but still flooded his goggles. He wouldn't dare raise a hand to wipe them away, not in front of his adversary. And he wouldn't mention the pain to Mello later–the pain of swallowing those pills ten minutes before to help with the agony, or the bruises he discovered on his neck that he'd most likely cover up with a turtleneck tomorrow.

Now, the silence grew to a point where Near felt it unendurable. Only after he realized this fact, did the top still on Matt's pillow slide off, and hit the floor. Near only gazed at the helpless spinner, and felt he couldn't reach for it, not with Matt in sight.

True silence set in. All the tiny inaudible noises had left the pair at last. Near stayed still, staring at his toy. Matt exited his game, and his computer froze, as if to make the gamer do the same thing. Matt sighed, and Near snatched his play thing–quickly, so he wouldn't think against it.

But silence came yet again, poisoning Near's air, giving Matt's peace from the barrage of abuse. "I'm sorry." Near said promptly, trying to balance the top once more. "I've went too far... That wasn't okay."

"You're right." Matt confirmed. His voice grew stronger, "You shouldn't be saying these things. Not to me, not to anyone." Matt brushed his soaked face roughly with his sleeve and ripped his goggles from his head, turning in his chair to face Near.

"I know you better than you think, Near. In truth, I've got you all figured out. More than you expect from the likes of me, right? You don't think much of Mello nor myself in terms of brains, because you're_ sooo_ perfect." Sorrow became apparent in Matt's voice as he took a slow down in his words. "Perfect little Near can't be any better..."

The malice picked up, and so did Matt's stance. "You never make a mistake in anything you do. You talk down to everyone, even teacher. Fine, think all these thoughts about me Near. Be a snobby little ingrate to L, even though you'd be hunting for rats in a gutter if it weren't for Watari picking you up. I don't care much what you do anymore. I don't care about that inhuman intelligence you keep either, and I'd kill to never have it if it made me like you. You're just a smart-mouthed brat to me from this point on, nothing else." Near's face matched his body just then: shocked. Perhaps the only solid emotion he showed in the last few months or so. The fright was rather apparent on his face as time went on, and Matt walked towards the door.

"That's right, just a brat. You're starting to have the face of a brat too. That's good, no more false advertising for anyone dumb enough to try and be nice to you..." Matt eyes started to betray him, and they leaked tears just like before. "To think I thought we could be friends..." Matt let out a pained chuckle, "You probably don't know what those are... I guess it doesn't matter." The Gamer left his room. To where, Near didn't know, even though he wanted to follow.

Instead, he scooped up the spinner again–Now remembering that L had bought it for him on a business outing about a month before–and agreed with his 'ally'. "Yes, it's true..." Near whispered, "I don't know what friends are, I don't even know what the word means by your standards. But here's another fact I do know, Matt. My opinion on both you an your... Friend... Mello... It has changed."

But something Near didn't know, should he leave it this way? Getting the real opinion of the one person in the house that tried to be something more that an associate... It hurt. If that's what Matt thought, Near strained to figure out what Mello thought, and even L and Watari...

Quickly, Near stumbled out of the room. What could he say to redeem himself when Matt was right? The only thing the albino wanted to accomplish right now was to get out before that man returned... The one that shattered his false, beautiful world. The world where everyone babbled in their absent-minded way, and where he was the origin of anything useful to be thought. He had to escape, because now was the time to reconstruct.

Near's small feet shuffled the exact way L's did, all the way to his room. There, another first happened... The fair-skinned detective cried, holding onto the wall for support. The tears swelled, and Near trembled in fear.

His whole life, people had treated him like royalty. And if they didn't, then he dismissed them as dim in the head. But this was the first time it hit... Near leaped into his bed, convulsing with adrenaline. He wanted to hit Matt back. He wanted to destroy Matt's world too. He almost wanted to_ kill_ the older teen.

_I thought the truth only set people free... _Near thought, still shaking, _Can it hurt this much as well?_

* * *

The early hours of the morning rolled in, but Mello still couldn't grasp a firm hold on sleep. Clasped in a loose black shirt with sleeves longer than his own arms and fitting dark blue boxers, no delightful dreams or thoughts came to his overworked mind.

Ever since the blonde turned in for the night, he's been thinking about the meal hours before and what affect was going to arise from it. The bouncing bed squeaked with the tosses and turns of Mello until he finally sprang up from his resting position into full consciousness. The remorseful detective grabbed his head in frustration, and felt around his room for a light source.

"Damn Matt..." Mello cursed, flipping the switch of his lamp nearby. "Why do you make me so angry? How do you have such a hold on me?" Mello buried his face in his hands again, "Why do I let you steer me...?"

The temperamental gunman paced his room, thinking harder and harder at every turn in his powerful strides. No matter what the subject was, it all came back to a question Mello wasn't sure how to answer: What now?

What should he do?

Still too proud to confront his pained friend and admit he was sorry. Never heartless enough to stomp around, pretending Matt was still in the wrong. More than eager to see his pal again either way. Yet, cowardice seized his nerves in a way where Mello refused to seek him out.

Ultimately, this poor soul was torn. But he had plenty of time to think things over, since he couldn't sleep. Mello's unsteady hand reached for the clock on his desk and read the robotic numbers. Three in the morning, he couldn't get any Z's, and he had somewhere to be ten hours from now. Great.

Suddenly, the blonde remembered another matter that should've been addressed. The sewing kit under his bed. And before Mello knew it, he was on his knees feeling for the small tin. After moments of searching, a small banging noise of Mello's hand hitting against the tin came from under the bed, and the relieved investigator slid the kit out into the open.

Unfastening the lid from its tin, Mello took the leaflet out again in an attempt to make more sense of it. He gingerly flipped through the pages, almost scared of what lied within the flimsy book. After a few minutes of quick studying, Mello came to an overall conclusion.

"It says these things are fair game when it comes to components used for the dolls..." He looked down into the tin, full of spools, and took out the pre-tied sticks, "Johnson... I guess he wanted to save me some time, so he got the sticks ready for me."

Mello started to ransack the house for materials. If this was a stress relieving method, the doll was never going to work. Perhaps the gunman's teacher saw creativity inside, passed the intense hatred and fixation, and merely wanted the blonde to exercise his talents. Whatever it was, it didn't matter to Mello. He looked the house over, silently creeping into each bedroom and public area with ease.

_I'll use many different things for these figures. _Mello thought, tearing kitchen rags for their cloth, _If he thinks I'm artistic, I might as well make the guy proud._

* * *

"Sunday..." L grumbled, scooping whole grain sugarless cereal into his mouth while imagining it was a bowl of gummy bears. He sat at the end of the couch in the livingroom, watching Matt as he battled monsters in his video game. With each hesitant spoonful, the insomniac hunched more in his seat, almost seeming to plunge into depression. L's final piece of cake was discovered last night, and he was forced to dumb it into the trash can himself.

"Yes, Sunday." Near said emotionlessly. The youngest detective was playing chess with himself in the floor, glancing from time to time at Matt who was gazing into the television. "That means I have an assignment." Near added.

"Oh, that shouldn't take too long." L said, almost immediately. That statement earned a hesitation in controls in the screen, almost seeming to knock Matt off focus for a split second. "Do well, Near. Like you always do." L finished, frowning at the screen. Near quickly left the scene, but stayed behind secretly to see if Matt had a comment for him.

But L merely critiqued Matt. "Matt, you let you opponent hit you for the first time. That isn't like you." The striped gamer shrugged. "Well, you know me... I'm better than Mello one day, then I don't even deserve the third spot the next. I'm just erratic." The redhead paused his game, turning behind him to face his teacher.

"I just... Don't deserve to be you, I guess." Matt turned off his game and set the television back normally. Before he could pass his mentor, L caught his sleeve, successfully stopping the pupil. "That's not true, Matt. When it comes time for me to step down, you have a chance." Matt blinked away his shock.

A small block of silence followed the retort, before L spoke up again. "You're here for me, never forget. It's good that you're friends with Mello, and that you get along with Near, but ultimately... This may not seem like it, but it's a competition. I wouldn't let you live with me if you couldn't sway my opinion." Matt brushed L's hand away, and walked off.

"I don't get along with Near, it's just that I think nothing of him." This statement caught Near's attention, making him sadden. He sneaked back to his room to avoid an argument either way. Before walking into the hallway, Matt turned to L again. "And when Watari comes back, I'll ask him for a plane ticket to Los Angeles, to leave here. And if my opinion really meant anything to you, hear this... I think Near would be the best choice. You spend all your time with him, so it seems to me like you were just going to waste Mello's time in the end." The gamer walked off then, leaving the conversation–and his spot–behind.

L turned back to the television, looking on absent-mindedly. "It's your choice to leave this place, you're of age and all... And I did give you a chance." L said, searching his mind to wonder if it was true. "But still... Such wasted talent."

* * *

11: 32... Close to noon, close to the meeting.

Mello rushed around his room, packing away necessities in his long black jacket and getting ready to sneak out of the house yet again. As far as he was concerned, he didn't want _anyone_ knowing he was getting extra help from his anger management instructor. The last item: the kit resting on his desk, hidden inside were two dolls he spent hours perfecting.

The detective opened his door to post a new sign, saying "Don't waste your time knocking, I refuse to be bothered." On top of that, he locked the door.

"I think this is all." Mello said, tucking the sewing kit away and escaping the room through his window.

* * *

Sitting at his laptop, Near was clicking away and reading all the details of his latest case. After a bit, it became apparent that this wasn't a run of the mill client, or a run of the mill case. First off, the client wasn't specified. Next, in order to hold onto the case, Near was required to study the crime scenes himself(the costumer must have worried that the police didn't catch everything). He would contact eyes and ears to actually be at the scene of the crimes soon, like he usually did.

But summoning outside help is harder than it looks. He needed a body to look in crevices where the police would never think to search. Near checks all the FBI files, coming upon a few promising agents that seemed capable and would probably comply with "N's" rules, but it didn't seem right, begging outside(and _unknown_) sources to do his work.

This entire time of solving desired cases, Near had noticed how his brain grew stronger as his body withered. "Maybe I should go outside..." Near contemplated, wanting to instantly brush off the idea.

But then it hit him–He _did_ need help. This could be what proves that he has flaws, that he _is_ a real person. A flawed mass of emotional flesh instead of an icy machine bred to play the evil role. And almost immediately, Near ran out of his room in an attempt to prove someone wrong and redeem himself.

* * *

Matt was clutching his DS and gritting his teeth, and obvious sign of his struggle. But, he solved the mind game inside his GameBoy, and inwardly cheered his success.

A quiet, yet fast knock came to Matt's door. The gamer hopped up calmly, figuring that L directed Watari to Matt's room to hand him the ticket. But when Matt opened the door, the person he least expected to be there was standing right in front of him. The redhead's expression turned sour as he saw the albino standing in the doorway, and he turned around and walked back into his room. "Well, what do you want?"

"I need your help with my assignment." Near said quickly, almost embarrassed. Matt faced the younger boy again, "That's simply not true. What, Near? Do you feel bad about yesterday or something? I know you've never needed help, so just go back to your work." The white-haired detective pressed on, "No, you don't understand. I need to be at the crime scene-"

"I hate going outside, try your luck with Mello." Matt interjected. Near smiled, almost feeling he trapped Matt. "He doesn't want to be bothered. And I don't just want you to go outside... I want to go with you." Matt raised an eyebrow, and Near's smile diminished.

"I need you to teach me how to work the streets. I know you don't leave the house as much as Mello, but I do know that you have a good feel of terrain..." Matt was still skeptic, and sat down on his bed, shaking his head disbelievingly. Near followed him, and made the older boy's eyes meet his, "I promise, no hurtful remarks. I'll try at least. I also won't have a condescending feel about me. And if you can put up with me for so long, give me this last chance... Just to prove to you that you weren't wasting your time."

Matt flashed Near a weary look, "I... Suppose one more chance can't damage either of us any more than we already are." Near smiled, and walked back to the door, "Then come along and take a look at what we'll be tackling. Afterward, you should get packing." As Near walked away, Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Where are we going?" Matt asked. Near's head poked back into the room, "America. To be specific, we'll be starting in Michigan where the first murder takes place. Then, somewhere in Nevada where the latest murder occurred.

Matt blinked, "Wait... What?"

* * *

"Mail Jeevas... So much raw, unworked talent. His memory was unflawed, and more importantly, he was loyal. This truly is a loss." L said, deleting Matt's data within his personal laptop. Watari came into the room, ticket in hand. "I have prepared Matt's departure, I only need to tell him now... I'm sure he would like to leave soon, do you have a message for him?"

L slowly shook his head. "He knows all he needs to know from me." L said emotionlessly. Watari nodded and left the room.

"Codename, Matt..." L whispered, erasing the final picture, "You will be missed."

* * *

"Well, this _doesn't_ seem normal..." Matt thought out loud, rereading the given case information on Near's computer. The shorter investigator leaned in his seat, "You see what I mean? I almost get the feeling that it's a trap." Matt nodded, "I do too."

A slow knock came at the door, and Near answered with a consent of entry. Watari walked in on the two boys at work, and seemed startled to find Matt at Near's desk. "Oh, so you're here. Well..." The old marksman uncovered the ticket, and a sad look came over his face. "Do you need me to take you to the airport, Matt?"

Matt looked up at the ticket and sighed, taking it from Watari's hand. "I'll just hold onto this. But, I have a few requests, Watari." The caretaker straightened himself to seem more useful, "Yes?"

Matt looked at Near's worried face, and back at Watari. "Keep my bank account open, because Near and myself are departing from Japan and going to America for a case. We need two plane tickets to start off with, one is to Detroit, Michigan. And most importantly... Don't tell L about this."

Watari raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't you want L to know? Aren't you staying?" Matt nodded, "I am, but just let him think I left. Please, Watari. I need to know how it feels being 'free', so I can really decide if I want to leave."

"Should I tell Mello about this?" Watari asked, earning a pause from Matt. "Don't tell Mello either... I have a plan. As for Near, he left to do the investigation on his own." Matt looked at Near, who nodded approvingly. "So, can you get the tickets, Watari?" Matt asked. Watari nodded, and left the room to perform his duties.

The detective clad in stripes turned back to the remaining detective, "We should pack now." Matt said, smiling. He stood, and exited the room.

_Matt... What are you thinking?_ Near speculated. _It doesn't sound like a good plan, but I suppose I should trust you._

_

* * *

_

I'm even starting to wonder, what the hell _is_ Matt planning? If Mello hears that Matt just skipped out on him, he'll either go totally nuts(Hide, L!!), or he'll want to go to Los Angeles(But Matt won't be there!). Oh well, I guess I'll just have to update... So long as you review. -wink wink-


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